Nutrition Before and After Plastic Surgery
- Written by Diana Smith
According to numerous research, the best and the fastest way to recover from a surgery is healthy nutrition before and after the procedure. A proper diet strengthens the immune system, so that the body can fight against infections. Since a plastic surgery is particularly stressful for the body, a patient needs to have a diet filled with more nutrients, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins than usually. The body will heal faster, and inflammation, swelling and bloating will decrease only if the patient follows an appropriate nutrition plan both before and after the surgery.
Pre-operative Diet
A patient should start to prepare for the surgery two to four weeks before the date it’s scheduled for. Since water makes up 60 to 75% of our body, it’s vital that the intake of fluids is much higher than usual. Not only does water help proper digestion and accelerates metabolism, but it also keeps the skin plump, elastic and blemish-free. Water also prevents the body from bloating up, which can be a side effect of a surgery.
Additionally, protein intake is essential to keep the body healthy. It builds and repairs tissue after the injury. In this case, it helps the incision heal faster. Therefore, a patient should have a sufficient intake of meat prior to the surgery in order for the body to heal as fast as possible after the procedure.
The more vitamins people take, the lesser are the chances that they’ll get sick. The body will stay strong and fight all the infections much better if it’s filled with vitamins. Since surgery will weaken the body, sufficient intake of fruit and vegetables rich in vitamin C is essential before the procedure. This will also help the damaged tissue, since vitamin C aids collagen production.
A patient should also take probiotics regularly, in order to prevent constipation, gas, bloating or nausea after the surgery. This is especially important for patients who will undergo cosmetic surgery and have to take antibiotics during the recovery.
A week before the surgery the patient should cut down on caffeine, alcohol, and aspartame. Additionally, all sugary foods, as well as the potentially allergenic foods as shellfish, milk, eggs, nuts, soy, peanuts and wheat should be avoided.
Post-Operative Diet
Quick healing and recovery, strong immune system and minimal swelling and inflammation should be the result of good post-surgical nutrition. In the post-operative period, diet should be similar to the pre-operative one, with slight modifications. 72 hours after a patient has had a plastic surgery Sydneyoffers, they should have soft food that’s easy to chew and digest.
It’s essential that a patient stops using vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, B vitamins and fish oils in the first week after the surgery. Furthermore, eggplant, tomato, potato, ginger, garlic and cayenne should be avoided both a week prior to the surgery and a week after, because they can have negative effect on bleeding time.
Extra-virgin olive oil, blueberries, sour cherries, and avocado are rich in monounsaturated fats, which makes them perfect for post-surgical diet. It’s also vital that a patient has a sufficient amount of Zinc, Arginine, Glutamine, and Coenzyme Q10. If the inflammation is strong, the intake of bromelain is recommended because it will reduce the bruising and swelling. Grape seed extract is another excellent aid that helps reduce swelling and decrease scarring.
Proper diet is essential for a healthy body and strong immune system. Therefore, it’s vital that people eat food rich in vitamins, enzymes and proteins regularly, and not only if they need to go under the knife. The healthier a person is, the better their body will heal from the surgery.
